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Friday, May 25, 2012

IIJ Alumnae Femi Adi Soempeno of Indonesia passed away on May 9 aboard a Russian-made passenger jet that crashed into a mountain in West Java.

Femi Adi Soempeno

Femi perished along with 44 other passengers of the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100. The twin-engine plane vanished from radar screens during a sales promotion trip and was afterwards confirmed to have slammed into Mount Salak.

My grandmother, Hannah Dovonou of blessed memory, had a standard exclamation for any remarkable disclosure or happening. Instead of saying something like Waoh or My Goodness, she would simply exclaim “H-a-l-l-o!”

I am having my own “H-a-l-lo” moment right now in The Gambia, where a chapter of the Great Ife Alumni Association was launched last Saturday. This is my very first visit to this country. My earlier acquaintance with the Gambia was through a friend and classmate at the Post Graduate College of the University of Lagos in the 80’s, Alhaji Swaebou Conateh who is one of the foremost journalists in this country. More than a quarter of a century after those happy days in Akoka, it was indeed a great pleasure reuniting with my friend and sharing remembrances about those good old days when we still dared to dream dreams.

PRESS RELEASE: Through
ISESCO Funding, The Gambia National Commission for UNESCO jointly organised with
the Madrassa Unit of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and in
collaboration with the General Secretariat for Islamic Arabic Education
(AMAANA) a Training of Trainers workshop of Arabic Islamic (Madrassa) Teachers and Principals on the Use and
Management of Statistical Data

The
workshop, which took place at the Regional Education Office in Region one from
23 to 26 May 2012 saw the participation of principals and senior teachers of several
Madrassa schools in The Gambia, personal of the Planning Directorate of the
Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and staff of the teacher training
institution ( Gambia College).

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

PRESS RELEASE: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) was given a key role in the G8’s next phase

NAIROBI, Kenya,

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (http://www.agra-alliance.org) was given a key role in the G8’s next phase of a shared commitment to achieve global food security. The Scaling Seeds and Other Technologies Partnership, part of the new initiative focused on increasing agricultural food production in Africa, will be housed at AGRA and will focus on strengthening Africa’s seed sector.

A Kenyan journalist investigating the Somali pirates and an Afghan broadcaster exposing violence against women will receive the 2012 Knight International Journalism Awards, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) announced. The award recognizes excellent reporting that makes a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Kassim Mohamed is an investigative reporter covering Kenya and Somalia, a nation plagued by lawlessness and piracy. He has chronicled the ensuing chaos in great detail—and at great personal risk—for the Nairobi-based Star FM radio station and The Star newspaper.

”G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition: “A new chapter in North-South partnership"

Virtual Press Briefing by IFAD President Kanayo F. Nwanze

Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will brief media on what the G8’s New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition could mean for countries in Africa

Children and Community Initiative for Development (CAID) organised a two-day training workshop on Advocating Youth and Children issues, Held at the Girls Guide Training Centre in Kanifing from 18-19 May 2012.

The Executive Director of CAID, Mr. Ibrahim Ceesay, told his audience at the opening ceremony that the training and recruitment was designed for new-intakes to the Children Advocacy Newtwork (CAN), an advocacy based group under the auspices of CAID.

The main aim of the training, as Ceesay highlighted, was to empower the participants with necessary skills and tools (leadership, advocacy, drama, child rights, public speaking, volunteer and activism), to be able to advocate strategically on all issues affecting children in The Gambia and promote mass information, education and communication that enable s children to express their needs and participate in making decisions affecting them at all levels.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I have the pleasure and joy to informed you that after prolong process, GU ( Global Unification, The Gambia), is awarded, one time status ( hopefully full time status soon) with ECOSOC and the United Nations Economic and Social Affair. Find the list of accredited organisation here: http://csonet.org/content/documents/AccreditationsAnnexI.htm

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa proudly announces the 2012 MILEAD (Moremi Initiative Leadership and Empowerment Development) Fellows. The 25 selected MILEAD Fellows are some of Africa’s most extraordinary young women leaders with the courage and commitment to lead and shape their communities and Africa’s future as a whole. The Fellows were chosen through a highly competitive selection process and criteria for their outstanding leadership promise, community service accomplishments, and commitment to the advancement of women in Africa.

Ms. Aisha is a young Gambian at the University of the Gambia in Political Science. Aisha’s experience as a girl child growing up in The Gambia and the many obstacles she had to overcome made her build passion to become a journalist to fight for the right of the younger generation more especially women, with the vision to create sustainable and conducive environment for young people in The Gambia and Africa as a continent. Currently Head of News and current Affairs Unique FM Radio. She is also working with different organization both national and international level and occupying various positions, she is nominated as Communication and Networking office of Lend A Hand society as well Thing Young Women and Global Unification Gambia, all these are entrusted to her due to her level of understanding and passion she has for young people and women in The Gambia and Africa.

Marie Angelique SAVANE,
Sociologist and International Consultant, has
said that Africa needs ethical leaders who are accountable to their citizens
for sustainable development to be effective. She was speaking in an interview
with our editorial assistant in Mbour – Senegal at the first national session
of the LEAD Africa Fellowship training programme organized by the LEAD
Francophone Africa Regional Programme Office.

Two Gambian girls were among 4,800 graduates of the 2012 academic year at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

The two, Musukebba Conateh (alias Musu) and her younger sister Fatou Conateh (Ngoneh) are the daughters of veteran journalist Swaebou Conateh of the News and Report Weekly Magazine, and Mrs Sukai Conateh, both of Dippakunda in Kanifing Municipality.

Each of the girls was awarded the bachelor of science degree at the same graduation ceremony held in the University’s stadium, which was filled to capacity for the ocassion.

Ngoneh qualified as a Civil engineer at the School of Engineering and Environmental Studies while Musu specialised as a respiratory therapist nurse from the medical school at the KU Medical Centre (KUMC) in Kansas City, Kansas.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Over
a hundred and fifty customers of Madina Sancha Village Saving and
Credit Association (VISACA) converged at Madina Sancha for the Annual
General Meeting 2012In officially declaring the meeting opens the
project Coordinator Rural Finance project, Mr. Lamin Fatajo commended
the community of Madina Sancha for their hard work, dedication, and
commitment. According to Mr. Fatajo rural finance entails provision of
financial services to low income earners (i.e. the active poor and the
poorest of the poor). Micro finance is one of the common words in the
twenty first century and it is now commonly referred to as “the
provision of financial and non financial services to low-income
clients.”

Friday, May 4, 2012

Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Africa Francophone has awarded Global Youth Innovation Network- Gambia (GYIN-Gambia) National Coordinator, Ambassador Mamadou Edrisa Njie, its LEAD Africa fellowship programme COHORT 17, The Gambia.The fellowship will runs from 5-12 May, 2012. The official launching will be held at the Parc Zoologigue de Hannat in Dakar, Senegal. Other sessions will be held in Mbour.

LEAD Africa and the LEAD Africa Fellowship Program are part of the global LEAD network whose common mission is to inspire leadership and charge for a sustainable world.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

ADDIS
ABABA, Ethiopia, World
Press Freedom Day (WPFD) will be celebrated tomorrow, Thursday 3rd May
2012 under the theme: “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform
Societies”. The event at the AU Headquarters is organised by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in
collaboration with the African Union Commission, some Associations of
Journalists based in Ethiopia and the Ministry of Information of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia amongst other partner
organizations.

MESSAGE
FROM DR. JEAN PINGCHAIRPERSON
OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION ON
THE OCCASION OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

MAY
3rd 2012

Jean Ping, AUC Chairperson

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The African Union
is celebrating this year, 2012, as the year of Shared Values. These values are accepted
and shared by all member States of our Union. Among them, there is one which is
a fundamental human right entrenched in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: Freedom of Speech.

This value is of critical importance because it feeds democracy and consolidates
good governance, which our world needs.

The
Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA)
has further strengthened its partnership with the media geared towards cleaning
West Africa of the twin crimes of money laundering and terrorist financing.

The
sub-regional institution has recently brought together media practitioners from
various media houses within and outside the West African region at a seminar
dubbed World Press Conference held from 27-28 April in Dakar, Senegal to re-orientate
them about their complementary roles in creating a sub-region devoid of these
transnational crimes which can potentially undermine the economic growth of
sub-region if not properly check on time.

Dr.
Abdullahi Shehu, director general of GIABA said the objectives of the World
Press Conference includes to acquaint the media professionals about regional
initiatives on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT)
framework, especially the mandate of GIABA in its sustained efforts to combat the
twin crimes in the West African sub-region.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

No, I have not taken an oath of secrecy requiring total break-up of direct unvetted communication with all and sundry!

As the African saying goes, if you can influence or inspire at least one thousand people, you do not belong to yourself but to those thousand people. My cozy place in the hearts of my fans is more important to me than the Oscars, the Pulitzer Prize and other accolades.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

(Reuters) -Perubecame the latest developing country to enact a domestic climate change initiative in the absence of a binding global pact, adopting a resolution on Thursday to lower carbon emissions in its fast-growing economy.

At the end of his visit to The Gambia- the first by the Commonwealth Secretary General in eight Years- Mr. Kamalesh Sharma addressed the local press informing them of the issues discussed.

Speaking to journalists at the Kairaba Beach Hotel on Tuesday,24 April, 2012, Secretary General Sharma described his visit to The Gambia as an important one, reasoning that the “the Commonwealth has entered a new chapter in its history to reform and renewal, and The Gambia is a highly valued member with much to contribute and much to benefit in this new era”.

‘Take a loan and say no to withdrawal’ was the theme for this year’s Catholic Education Secretariat Credit Union ‘s (CESCU’s) 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Monday, 14 April 2012 at the Saint Peters Lower Basic School Hall in Lamin.

The AGM enabled the board to share with members and other Stockholders a record of activities and salient information on membership, financial activities, savings, loans, constraints, and pronounced a way forward with great hope and determination.

In her report, the Chairperson, Board of Directors, Mrs. Zono Jammeh, who is also the Principal of Saint Therese’s Upper Basic School, said savings is the sure base upon which credit unions thrive; and the assurance of the survival of any credit union is pinned on healthy savings of its membership.

Because the primary objective of establishing a credit union is to mobilise savings from members, she remarked. Membership savings, according to her, as at 2010 stood at D8.4m compared to D10.7m in December 2011 representing an increment of 27%.

The idea of withdrawal, Madam Jammeh told her audience, is becoming a major deficiency for the proper management of the union.

The Executive Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), Madam Hannah Forster has said in her opening statement at the Non-Governmental Forum (NGO Forum) that only the Republic of Senegal must be congratulated for successfully concluded elections.

The ACDHRS boss was speaking at 25th NGO Forum, held at the Kariaba Beach Hotel from 14 to 16 April, 2012, preceding the 51st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in The Gambia.

Forster told the gathering of rights activists from different countries, and members of the diplomatic and consular corps in the Gambia, among others, that after the minor attempt to upset the cart of constitutionalism by the former President Abdoulie Wade, the voice of the Senegalese people have been heard loud and clear reinforcing the constitutional framework towards the respect for democracy, for peace and human rights.

In his opening remarks, Hon. Amadou Colley, the Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia, said the importance of effective communication in today’s economic and business milieu, and the unprecedented changes and transformation in communication, as as well as the need to keep abreast with global developments, had compelled WAIFEM to add this course to its menu of pogrammes since 2002.

They are aware that the response by the user institutions to WAIFEM’s call for nomination for the course has been overwhelming evidenced by its persistent over-subscription over the years. He added that effective communication does not only enable individuals, corporate bodies and the community to express their identity but, it is also the indispensable means for any meaningful collaboration. Most business decisions involve the corporation and interaction of several individuals or bodies to realize common goals.

The 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Trust Bank Limited was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the AGM was an opportunity for members to receive and adopt the Annual report and accounts for the year ended 31st December, 2011; to declare dividends; to appoint new directors and their remuneration; to appoint the Auditors; and also to authorise the board to determine the remuneration of Auditors.

All resolutions were given a clear bid without any hitches from members. Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta is the Board Chairman of Trust Bank Limited.

In his statement, he said the Bank has recorded another encouraging performance in the year 2011.